With hundreds of dog foods on the market, many of them similar in terms of ingredients and nutritional value, the factor that determines which one gets bought is how well the manufacturer can convince the consumer that its food is superior to the others. Most of the time, the only place they can accomplish this is at the point of sale, where the only information available is on the label itself.
Lately, the label game has heated up. The claims being made range from the subtle to the ridiculous, and truth is sometimes stretched to its outermost limits โ or beyond. The consumer must be wary and consider exactly what the claims actually mean, given the way they are worded. For instance, Iโve seen foods that claim to be โnutritional,โ which is meaningless in this context, though possibly close enough to โnutritiousโ to fool a naรฏve consumer.
Abject adjectives and nonsense nouns
One of the most common ploys is to use words like “higher,” “better,” “best,” “superior,” and “more” without making a specific comparison. For instance, Science Diet Canine Maintenance claims it has โhigher levels of Vitamins C & E,โ but what they are higher than is not specified. Are they higher than other foods? Which other foods? Or are they higher than the last formulation of Science Diet Canine Maintenance?
Iams Chunks for adult dogs states, โNow more chicken per bowl.โ More than what? (Because this statement includes the word โNow,โ it probably means there is currently more chicken per bowl than Iams Chunks used to have. This claim is only allowed for six months, according to regulations on โnew and improvedโ label claims.) Pedigree, you will be glad to know, is โnow more nutritious.โ Does this mean it wasnโt nutritious before?
Eukanuba wins hands-down for the best trademarked, registered (and made-up) catch phrases on their labels. Their โEukanuba Vital Health Systemโขโ includes a โDigestiCareโขโ component as well as โOmegaCOATยฎ Nutritional Science,โ resulting in โResults Oriented Nutritionยฎ.โ Throw in tinted windows and anti-lock brakes, and youโve got yourself a deal!
I also like the ultra-sincere โletter to concerned dog ownersโ that Bil-Jac uses on its label, touting its โnutritional integrity.โ
Bad science
Dog food companies are very scientific these days. VitaRX is โScientifically engineered,โ Nutro is โScientifically balanced,โ and Premium Edge says that its trademarked seals โmean that your pet is receiving the science of complete and balanced pet nutrition.โ
Purina Dog Chow states that โeach ingredient is selected for its role in delivering the 36 key nutrients dogs require.โ This makes sense, because the standard nutrient profiles list 36 separate nutrients that must be present. In contrast, all Science Diet formulas contain โat least 50 nutrients from high quality ingredients.โ What are the other 14 nutrients? Do dogs really need them? Who knows?
Authority Adult Chunks says that its New Zealand lamb is an โexcellent source of high quality proteinโ and that it โsupplies calcium and phosphorus for strong bones.โ This is technically true โ lamb contains all the essential amino acids for dogs, and it does contain both calcium and phosphorus. However, lamb is a poor source of taurine compared to poultry and fish; and like all meat, contains an extremely unbalanced ratio of calcium (less than 59 mg per pound) to phosphorus (762 mg per pound). Inferring that lamb is a significant source of calcium is a very big stretch.
Human appeal
Obviously, the pet food makers are well aware of the trends in human nutrition, and they are happy to work all the same angles as human food makers. For instance, the American consumerโs obsession with body image has not gone unnoticed. ProPlan illustrates body condition scoring, so you can tell if your Pug is too pudgy. Several foods emphasize that they do not contain โexcess caloriesโ that are evidently lurking in other brands.
Not surprisingly, many pet food manufacturers are suddenly making much ado about antioxidants, which have been big news in human nutrition. Many of Science Dietโs labels feature a banner with the words, โSuperior* Antioxidant Formula;โ the asterisk refers to a box directly below noting, โ*Higher levels of vitamin C & E promotes (sic) healthy immune systems.โ
What goes in…
The quantity and quality of stool is still a popular subject on dog food labels. Numerous foods pledge smaller, firmer stools, including Petsmartโs Authority, Eukanuba, and ProPlan. Nutro promises โguaranteed smallest stool volume.โ
But my favorite is Natureโs Recipe, because (according to the label) if your dog eats that food, he will have โsmall, firm, easy to clean stools.โ
When you eat fiber, do you produce โsmaller, firmer stoolsโ? Sorry to ask such a personal question, but according to the label of Premium Edge, thatโs the result of including beet pulp โ what they call โan excellent source of fiber for your petโ โ in their foods. According to my medical texts, dietary fiber increases fecal weight, softness, and volume. It also results in an increased frequency of defecation.
What do choosy shoppers do?
Obviously, dog food makers didnโt invent the art of prevarication. Savvy consumers understand that most label claims must be considered no more than entertaining reading. When selecting a food, as always, your dogโs appearance, weight, energy level, coat quality, and appetite are the best indicators of a foodโs true digestibility, quality, and compatibility with his individual needs.
Also With This Article
Click here to view “Dog Food Guaranteed Analysis: Truth on the Label”
-By Jean Hofve, DVM
Dr. Jean Hofve is the Companion Animal Program Coordinator for the Animal Protection Institute, located in Sacramento, California.
